Artful printer dodges inspection

Paddy McCoy, an Irish printer, received a letter from the Department of Social Welfare stating he was suspected of not paying his employees the statutory minimum wage and that an inspector would be dispatched to interview them.

On the appointed day, the inspector turned up.

“Tell me about your staff,” he asked Paddy.

“Well,” said Paddy. “There’s the printer – I pay him €240 a week and he has a free van. Then there’s the receptionist – she gets €190 a week along with free board and lodging. There’s also the half-wit. He works a 16-hour day, does 90 per cent of the work, earns about €25 a week along with a bottle of whisky and, as a special treat, occasionally gets to sleep in the master bedroom.”

“That’s disgraceful” said the inspector. “I need to interview the half-wit.”